Arthritis in
Dogs - Symptoms

Treatment and tips that may help your arthritic dog

Arthritis tips to help your dog

Arthritis is a common disease that affects dogs. Just as with
humans, arthritis is more likely to get worse with age. The
larger breeds of dogs such as the Golden Retriever and
German Shepherd are more likely to be affected than small
breed dogs but small dogs are not immune to arthritis by any
means. Heavy and overweight dogs are more likely to
experience symptoms because of the extra strain placed on
ligaments and joints.

The Common Symptoms of
Arthritis in dogs

* Reduced
Activity* Limping* Difficulty
getting up from a lying down position* Stiffness in the
legs especially after waking or in the morning* Difficulty
jumping up onto things or getting into cars etc* Difficulty
climbing stairs* Yelping in pain* Chewing or
licking at joints* Showing
personality changes such as aggression* Reluctance to
walk or play* Withdrawing from
family activities

Here are a few tips that may help your arthritic dog:

Weight Control helps Arthritis in
Dogs

Weight control is an important component of any treatment for
arthritis.

The number one thing you can do for your dog’s
arthritis is to make sure your dog is not overweight. Extra
weight can aggravate arthritis by causing undo stress on the
joints. Dog arthritis medicine can ease the symptoms of
arthritis, but losing weight can usually benefit the dog
even more.

Various medications are available that
relieve the pain your dog is feeling due to arthritis. Your
veterinarian is the best person to advise you as to which medications would be
most suitable for your dog's situation.

Fish Oil Supplements For Dogs are useful.
Veterinarians are discovering that Omega 3 fatty acids can be
valuable for a variety of conditions. They have become a popular
supplement often recommended by veterinarians, for arthritis,
kidney disease, allergies, skin conditions and elevated
cholesterol.

All
dogs deserve a comfortable bed to sleep in but your arthritic
dog can be made more comfortable with a soft bed to help him
with his painful joints. Canine arthritis is a painful
degenerative joint disease, the condition and stiffness in the
joints can also be made worse if your dog continues to sleep on
cold hard floors.

Slip-free Flooring

Arthritic dogs find it difficult to walk on slippery
floors such as tiled or hardwood floors. By placing carpet
or rugs on these floors will secure your dog's footing.